Curtain-fixture.



PATENTED DEC. 20, 1904.

H. H. FORSYTH.

CURTAIN FIXTURE.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 11, 1903.

NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented December 20, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. FORSYTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CURTAIN SUPPLYCOMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,724, dated December20, 1904.

Application filed June 11, 1903. Serial No. 161,084.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. FoRsY'rH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Curtain-Fixtures, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to that class of ourtain-fixtures wherein acurtain-stick carried by the lower end of the curtain or shade isprovided with friction devices adapted to travel within grooves in thewindow-frame, so as to guide the shade or curtain smoothly as it ismoved up by the tension of the shade-roller or drawn down by hand andfixedly held in adjusted position against the tension of theshade-roller. In curtain-fixtures of this class it is desirable that thefixture shall be as nearly as possible sel f-righting that is, that theconstruction shall be such that the pull of the shade-roller spring willreturn the lower margin of the shade carrying the curtain-stick to ahorizontal position when it has been dis- I placed or moved into anangular position by raising or lowering by grasping them at variouspoints along the lower margin of the shade and forcibly moving them upor drawing them down. The result of this improper manipulation in eitherdirection, but particularly in lowering the shade, frequently results incanting the shade to an oblique position, and therefore it is desirablethat the fixture should be made self-righting.

My improvements hereinafter described secure desirable results in acurtain-fixture above indicated in a simple, convenient, and inexpensivemanner, and the leading feature of the invention consists in theemployment of a series of peripherally contacting rollers arranged in ahead carried by the shade-stick, which rollers are also adapted to bethrust into contact with the bottom of the groove of the window frame byan outwardly forcing spring.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a fragmentary portionof the window-shade provided with a curtain-stick, head, and series offriction-rollers, the stick and head being partly broken away to showthe interior mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same parts,showing the friction-rollers in a slightly-difierent position. Fig. 3 isa view of the head in a slightly-oblique position which it may assumeand in which the friction is so reduced as to enable the curtain toright itself. Fig. 4 is a view of the head in a perpendicular positionand with the rollers in the released position, which they would assumeat the conclusion of the downward movement of the curtain.

In the drawings, let 5 represent the curtain or shade, and 6 the usualcurtain-stick; 7 the rod sliding within the stick; 8, the spring forthrusting the rod outwardly, said spring hav ing a bearing at one end onthe tubular shank 9 of the head 10, while its opposite end will have abearing within the tube. This rod, of which there will be one in eachend of the fixture, may be provided with a pinch-handle for retractingthe head against the thrust of of the spring. The head itself is of theusual type, being in the form of a hollow open-sided box with its innercorners rounded and having journaled or otherwise rotatably mountedtherein friction-wheels a, 5, 0, (Z, and e. The Wheel or roller (0 isfixedly journaled in the upper end of the head, while the series ofrollers o 0 (Z c are journaled in slots 11 in the head 10, whereby theyare permitted bodily movement as well as a rotative movement. The lowerroller 6 of the series is adapted in one position to make contact withthe wall of the head 10, and the series of rollers Z) to e are adaptedat all times for peripheral contact with each other and also for edgecontact with the bottom of the groove of the window-frame,

which is indicated at 12.

The action of the fixture will be understood by reference first to Fig.1, wherein the lower margin of the shade is at right angles to thebottom of the groove 12 and the wheels are in contact with the bottom ofthe groove and with each other, the wheel a being also in contact withthe bottom of the groove, but out of contact with the other wheels. Inthis position the friction produced by the contact above mentioned willrestrain the shade from being rolled up by the pull of the spring. Nowif it be desired to raise the curtain it may be forced up withoutretracting the series of friction-wheels from contact with the frame ofthe window, or, if the devices are provided with pinch-handles, theheads may be thus retracted for adjusting. If it be desired to lower thecurtain, this may be done by pulling it down either by grasping thelower edge of the shade or by retracting the head. As the curtain isdrawn down the series of rollers b to e have an upward bodily movementin addition to their rolling movement, tending to separate slightly fromeach other and rolling upon the surface of the windowframe. The downwardmovement of the shade or curtain is thus rendered easy. Now if inmanipulating the curtain it is canted orthrown into an inclinedposition, as shown in Fig. 3, the series of rollers b to a will besomewhat released or partially withdrawn from contact with the bottom ofthe groove, so as to lose their frictional hold, and the roller a willbecome an antifriction device, which will assist under the pull of theshade-roller spring to draw the bottom of the curtain back intohorizontal position, or, in other words, the fixture will beautomatically self-righting.

While I have shown and described herein a series of rollers and haveshown said rollers with journals traveling in slots, it will beunderstood that my invention in its broader aspect is not limited tosuch detail of construction. So far as I am aware I am the first toprovide a curtain-fixture having a head containing a series of wheels,rollers, or similar elements in peripheral contact with each other andalso adapted for edge contact with the window-frame. I further believethat I am the first to provide such a series of rollers having adescribed relation to each other and to the window-frame in combinationwith a terminal roller or rollers or equivalent curved surface afiordingan antifriction element to assist in the self-righting of the fixtureand, further, that I am the first to provide a fixture of the classdescribed having a series of wheels or rollers or like elements makingperipheral contact with each other and also contact with the wall of thehead or body in which the said elements are mounted. Obviously thisseries of wheels or rollers might make contact with some other part ofthe head as well as with its lower end.

I claim- 1. In a curtain-fixture the combination with a curtain-stick ofa head carried thereby and provided with a series of bodily-movableroller elements adapted for peripheral engagement with each other andwith the window-frame, one of said roller elements being also adapted toengage the head whereby the free rotation of the roller is impeded onthe upward movement of the curtain and the series of roller elementsbeing adapted for unimpeded rotation on the downward movement of thecurtain.

2. In acurtain-fixture,the combination with a curtain-stick of afriction-head carried thereby, said head having a vertically-movable series of roller elements mounted therein and adapted for peripheralcontact with each other and with the window-frame, said head having acurved contact-surface at its end with which one of said roller elementsengages, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In a curtain-fixture,the combination with a curtain-stick of afriction-headcarried thereby, said head having a series of rollerelements journaled therein and bodily movable whereby they are adaptedfor peripheral engagement with each other and with the window-frame, oneof said rollers being adapted to move into contact with the head, saidhead having a terminal roller rotatable upon a fixed axis and adapted tocontact the window-frame but out of contact with the series of rollers,substantially as described.

4. In a curtain-fixture, the combination with a curtain-stick of a headcarried thereby and provided with aseries of bodily-movable rollerelements adapted for peripheral engagement

